Congo files criminal complaints against Apple in Europe over conflict minerals
Paris — The Democratic Republic of Congo has filed criminal complaints against Apple subsidiaries in France and Belgium, accusing the tech firm of using conflict minerals in its supply chain, lawyers for the Congolese government told Reuters. Congo is a…
Around 90,000 children impacted by Cyclone Chido in Mozambique
Current assessments show the storm destroyed or damaged over 35,000 homes, displaced thousands of families, and impacted more than 90,000 children, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday. Classrooms destroyed; infrastructure damaged According to the latest situation report, at least 174,000…
WFP delivers aid to over 800,000 in Sudan’s hunger hotspots
The surge in aid follows a large-scale effort launched by WFP to address the growing humanitarian crisis caused by the conflict that erupted in April 2023. October marked a record month, with WFP reaching 2.8 million people across Sudan with…
UN announces plan to address political impasse, overdue elections in Libya
Stephanie Koury, Deputy Special Representative for Libya and acting head of the UN Support Mission in the country, UNSMIL, briefed ambassadors on the initiative a day after presenting it to the population. The UN-facilitated process involves establishing an advisory committee…
Nigeria: Experts call for increased funding for malaria intervention
ABUJA, NIGERIA — The World Health Organization (WHO) and public health experts are calling for increased political commitment and funding to fight malaria, especially in endemic regions like Africa. This week’s release of the 2024 World Malaria Report by the…
Climate shocks, humanitarian crises and political division plague Central Africa
Abdou Abarry, UN Special Representative for Central Africa, told ambassadors in the Security Council that disasters and extreme weather events displaced more than three million people in the region this year alone. This has worsened an already fragile socio-economic situation…
Zimbabwe aims to end HIV/AIDS as public health threat by 2030
MARONDERA, ZIMBABWE — Zimbabwean health officials said Tuesday they aim to eliminate HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, crediting the United States with making such progress possible through aid and support. U.S. Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pamela Tremont and…
UN digital program seeks to empower Africa’s public workers
NAIROBI, KENYA — The United Nations, Microsoft and Kenya’s Ministry of Information last week launched a digital and artificial intelligence center in Nairobi to train African public servants and accelerate the development and use of online services. Officials said the…
Sub-Saharan officials say reducing fish imports creates local jobs
Yaounde, Cameroon — Officials in Sub-Saharan Africa countries have agreed it is important to reduce over-dependence on imported fish and seafood from North Africa and the European Union and instead they should strive to cultivate fish-farming, which will create jobs…
Security Council hears of ongoing imperative to end violence in eastern DR Congo
Bintou Keita, who also heads the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, reported on the instability in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, particularly operations by four armed groups: ADF, M23, CODECO and Zaïre. She applauded efforts to…